


Welcome the Challenge

by alfie_bet



Category: Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Listening to Music, M/M, Slow Dancing, Waver is a mess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-02
Packaged: 2020-11-22 06:42:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20869874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alfie_bet/pseuds/alfie_bet
Summary: It's not every day that Rider finds his tiny master lying on the ground of their shared bedroom, but he's determined to figure out why.  Even if that means listening to the same song on loop.





	Welcome the Challenge

“Boy. I have to ask...what are you doing?”

“What does it look like?”

That was indeed a good question. To Rider, it appeared as though his tiny master had finally given up the ghost, lying prone on the bedroom floor with his hands folded over his stomach. He didn’t seem to be injured, but after a moment he registered music playing from some unknown source.

“Is there someone else in here? I only see you there—”

“Listening to a CD. Idiot.”

He noted that his master’s tone sounded flat and clipped, like he was both annoyed but, at the same time, lacking the energy to do anything about his annoyance. Raising an eyebrow, Iskandar’s curiosity was piqued.

“Well, tell me, what is a ‘CD’? You surely haven’t trapped that poor woman using some sort of magecraft, have you?”

“What? No! God, it’s a compact disk? Wait, you don’t know what that is, either. It’s...er…” Waver grunted, trying to think of a way to rephrase it. “It’s...like...recording someone’s voice, and then you can play it over and over again. Like a sculpture, but you can hear it? I guess?” He waved his hands as he spoke, trying to figure out how to put the explanation into simple terms for the ancient king to understand.

Rider rubbed his chin thoughtfully, brows knit together, “Huh...a sculpture you can hear...Lysippos would’ve surely flung himself out of a window if he knew of such a thing—”

“Well, it’s pretty new. Before CDs were 8-tracks and cassettes, and before that was...never mind, I lost you,” Waver sighed, noting the glazed look in the king’s eyes as he explained the technology. “Anyway, the song’s over, so just press the back button-”

“The what now?”

Waver got up, shooting a dirty look at his servant before grabbing the larger man’s hand, bending his fingers until only his index finger was pointing out, before pressing it down on the button. “That one. Your new job is to sit there and press that button when the song ends. Can you at least do that?”

“Are you serious?”

“Deadly so. There’s a lot on my mind, and I want to listen to a little Mariah Carey before going to bed. Alright? So just...please, let me have this?”

Rider blinked but complied, sitting dutifully beside the CD player while Waver continued to lie on the ground, still staring at the ceiling. He could see Waver’s lips move as the song played on—clearly, it was a song he knew by heart. When the last few notes faded out, Rider pressed the back button, earning a pleased hum from Waver.

After the fourth cycle of the song, Rider resting his chin in his hand, Waver finally sat up. “...Okay. I’m good. Thanks, Rider, you can turn it off. Just unplug it—”

He glanced over at the black cord that led to the outlets in the wall, giving the wire a sharp yank to free it from the wall. Waver winced, frowning, “Careful with that, these things are expensive.”

“Expensive? Why, boy, once I begin my conquest, you can have as many ‘CD’ players as you’d like! And perhaps I can even get this Mariah woman to sing for you personally.”

Waver snorted, finding the thought of Rider convincing anyone to sing for him personally funny. “Yeah, yeah, and then you and Bill Clinton can get in a fist fight. I’d love to see that.”

“Yes! That, too! Politicians and leaders are so scrawny these days, they need a proper example of what a leader’s body should look like!” Rider thumped his fist to his chest proudly, earning a snort from Waver.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“And you know I’m right.”

Waver decided to let the conversation drop as he grabbed his pajamas, “I’m going to go get changed. If you’re going to stay up and watch stuff, keep the volume down.”

Rider nodded, the bedroom door closing with a soft click. He hummed, glancing back at the CD player. Who would have thought that a simple song could captivate the young man so thoroughly? Especially a crooning song about heroes and finding one’s hidden potential—

Ah. Well, that made sense. He tapped his knee, humming as he thought. Considering their situation and the (obvious) lack of magical input from his master, he supposed that a song about inner strength would be uplifting.

Rider got up, stretching before plugging in the CD player again, waiting until the first song finished before the ‘Hero’ song came back on. He tapped the button with a two bars on it, which luckily stopped the song from playing any further than the first few moments. The door opened not long after, the young mage ready for bed but confused at the sight before him.

Waver blinked, brows furrowed. “What...are you doing? I’m done with the CD player, you don’t need to keep it playing-”

“Now, boy, I know that you had your moment of self pity and reflection earlier—” he pointedly ignored the darkened look clouding Waver’s face, “—but, in my day, music was made to be listened to in the company of others. Now, come here.”

He held out a tanned hand, waiting patiently for his master to take a step forward. Waver stared at the outstretched hand, then at Rider’s face, then back to the hand before tentatively placing his hand in his. “What are you planning—”

“Mm, I watched them do this on the television. Apparently, it is appropriate for these sorts of songs,” Rider smirked, tapping the same button to begin the music again before pulling his master close. Rider began to sway with the tempo of the song, keeping Waver pressed against him.

Waver, in the meantime, was fairly certain that he had slipped and died in the bathroom, and this was the weird-yet-strangely-pleasant limbo dream he got before being flung straight into Hell. After all, a Macedonian king renowned for conquering and military expertise would most certainly not be slow dancing with a scrawny, pathetic wannabe mage, and definitely not to a Mariah Carey song. 

He sighed, finding himself resting his cheek against Rider’s chest. Whether it was the absurdity of the situation, the way that Rider just seemed to exude confidence and calm, or his own exhaustion, Waver found himself strangely open. He sighed, staring off at the wall as they danced together, “...I honestly thought I knew what I was getting into, joining the Holy Grail War. But I didn’t have a clue. At all. I’m in way over my head.” 

Rider hummed in reply, the sound a low rumble that Waver could honestly feel more than hear.

“Well, as you are aware, I didn’t exactly know I was being summoned until the moment of. And, while I’ve had my doubts, I think we are partners for a reason. If nothing else, it’s a learning experience.”

“Oh, yeah, it’s a learning experience, alright. I’m learning how inadequate I am in all areas of my life—” Waver mumbled, tensing up when Rider’s hand rubbed small circles on his lower back.

“It’s a learning experience because I am learning about the world as it is now, about magic, and about you.”

“Me? What’s to learn about me?” His grip tightened imperceptibly on Rider’s hand, gaze narrowing.

“Hm...well, I’m learning about the things you like, what you don’t, and what makes you happiest, for one. After all, once we get that grail, it would do me good to know how my newest companions thinks.”

Waver blinked, cheeks dusting pink, “...You...can’t just say things like that, not like this—”

“Oh? And why is that?”

He opened his mouth, about to say something but thought better of it, sighing, “...Forget it. The song’s almost over, anyway, so—”

“I can press that button again, it doesn’t have to be.”

Shaking his head, Waver pulled away. “We both need rest, you especially. I don’t need you wasting mana on my account, we don’t know when the other servants and masters are going to come knocking.” He walked over to the CD player, turning it off and gently unplugging it. 

“...and, besides, it’s cold tonight. I still need you, I don’t feel like getting another blanket out of the closet.”

Rider blinked before nodding, smile playing on his lips, “...if you say so, I suppose I can follow that order.”

Waver crawled into bed, scooting closer to the wall to give Rider the room to get in. The bed creaked under their weight, the younger man moving closer to him once they were both under the blanket. He yawned softly, closing his eyes.

“...when you get the grail, where do you want to go first?” Waver mumbled, voice slightly muffled in Rider’s shirt.

“Hm...I think I’d want to see where you’re from. See what crafted you,” he chuckled, placing a kiss on the top of Waver’s head. He didn’t seem to mind, just curling closer when Rider slung an arm over him. 

“...I’d like that. England won’t be able to handle you.”

“To be fair, you seem to have a hard time of it, too.”

Waver smiled, lightly thumping Rider’s chest with his fist. “I guess I’ll have all the time in the world to figure out how.”

Rider smiled in return, “I welcome the challenge.”


End file.
